Exaltation of the Afflicted

61 The (A)Spirit of the Lord [a]God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To (B)bring good news to the (C)humble;
He has sent me to (D)bind up the brokenhearted,
To (E)proclaim [b]release to captives
And [c]freedom to prisoners;
To (F)proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the (G)day of vengeance of our God;
To (H)comfort all who mourn,
To (I)grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The (J)oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called [d](K)oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Then they will (L)rebuild the ancient ruins,
They will raise up the former devastations;
And they will repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
(M)Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
And [e]foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
But you will be called the (N)priests of the Lord;
You will be spoken of as (O)ministers of our God.
You will eat the (P)wealth of nations,
And you will boast in their [f]riches.
Instead of your (Q)shame you will have a (R)double portion,
And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.
Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land,
(S)Everlasting joy will be theirs.
For I, the Lord, (T)love justice,
I hate robbery [g]in the burnt offering;
And I will faithfully give them their reward,
And make an (U)everlasting covenant with them.
Then their offspring will be known among the nations,
And their descendants in the midst of the peoples.
All who see them will recognize them
Because they are the (V)offspring whom the Lord has blessed.

10 I will (W)rejoice greatly in the Lord,
My soul will be joyful in (X)my God;
For He has (Y)clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a groom puts on a turban,
And (Z)as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the (AA)earth produces its sprouts,
And as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up,
So the Lord [h]God will (AB)cause (AC)righteousness and praise
To spring up before all the nations.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:1 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Isaiah 61:1 Or liberty
  3. Isaiah 61:1 Lit opening to those who are bound
  4. Isaiah 61:3 Or terebinths
  5. Isaiah 61:5 Lit sons of the foreigner
  6. Isaiah 61:6 Or glory
  7. Isaiah 61:8 Or with malice
  8. Isaiah 61:11 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord

The Lord Will Anoint His Servant with His Spirit

61 The Ruach of Adonay Yahweh is with me
    because Yahweh has anointed me
        to deliver good news to humble people.
    He has sent me
        to heal those who are brokenhearted,
        to announce that captives will be set free
            and prisoners will be released.
He has sent me
    to announce the year of Yahweh’s good will
        and the day of our Elohim’s vengeance,
        to comfort all those who grieve.
He has sent me
    to provide for all those who grieve in Zion,
        to give them crowns instead of ashes,
            the oil of joy instead of tears of grief,
                and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness.

They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
    the Plantings of Yahweh,
        so that he might display his glory.

They will rebuild the ancient ruins.
    They will restore the places destroyed long ago.
    They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago.
Foreigners will come forward and become shepherds for your flocks,
    and children of foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
You will be called the priests of Yahweh.
    You will be called the servants of our Elohim.
    You will consume the wealth of the nations.
    You will boast in their splendor.
You will receive a double measure of wealth instead of your shame.
    You will sing about your wealth instead of being disgraced.
    That is why you will have a double measure of wealth in your land.
        You will have everlasting joy.
I, Yahweh, love justice.
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
    I will faithfully reward my people’s work.
    I will make an everlasting promise[a] to them.
Then their offspring will be known among the nations
    and their descendants among the people.
        Everyone who sees them will recognize
            that they are the descendants whom Yahweh has blessed.

10 I will find joy in Yahweh.
    I will delight in my Elohim.
    He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation.
    He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness
        like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban,
        like a bride with her jewels.
11 Like the ground that brings forth its crops
    and like a garden that makes the seed in it grow,
        so Adonay Yahweh will make righteousness and praise
            spring up in front of all nations.

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 61:8 Or “covenant.”

61 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.